Report & Photo Gallery: Manhattan Beach Grand Prix

The 56th Annual Manhattan Beach Grand Prix returned this year with the course running in a reverse direction. The new direction was well received by the riders, made the racing less predictable and the course seemed a little safer with the long straightaway heading into the start / finish line.

The venue was festive with teams and vendors set up in the expo area, along with a fun Kids Zone and a Kids Race for the next generation of cyclists to participate in.

The Pro 1/2 Men’s and Women’s 1-3 categories featured solid fields that raced aggressively as they competed for a generous prize list of $8,000.

The Pro 1/2 Men’s race saw a breakaway of six escape and narrowly hold it to the end from a hard charging field that just couldn’t bring the break back before the finish. Cory Williams (Elevate) took the win ahead of Mario Zamora (Pacific Premier Bank Cycling Team) in 2nd and Randall Coxworth (Monster Media Racing) in 3rd.

The Women’s 1-3 Race came down to a field sprint with Norweigan track cyclist Anita Stenberg (Pickle Juice Cycling Team) taking the win, followed by Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) in 2nd and Joelle Numainville (Cylance) in 3rd.